We're all used to films that are supposed to be historical or biographical and take wide liberties. But this film takes that to a new level -- it takes a real event (the disappearance of Agatha Christie) and ADMITTEDLY makes up a totally fictional story to fit the shell. If you want to take liberties with a true story, okay, I can accept that to make a story more interesting. But to TOTALLY fictionalize a story is akin to telling a lie. Why not just make the story without connecting it to real people and real events.
On the other hand, despite that moral reservation, I actually liked the movie. It's interesting fiction. It's richly filmed in rather lavish settings of the era.
The key here is the acting, more than the story. Vanessa Redgrave depressingly good as depressed Agatha Christie. Many actresses could not have carried this film. I've always liked Dustin Hoffman, but here I feel he's a bit too formally reserved as his newspaperman character. Timothy Dalton is excellent as the dastardly husband of Christie.
Here's the problem -- SPOILER WARNING -- the film, while claiming to be fiction, essentially accuses Christie of attempting to commit suicide by having her husband's mistress unknowingly murder her. No wonder Christie descendants sued, twice (unsuccessfully). It just doesn't seem kosher.
On the other hand, despite that moral reservation, I actually liked the movie. It's interesting fiction. It's richly filmed in rather lavish settings of the era.
The key here is the acting, more than the story. Vanessa Redgrave depressingly good as depressed Agatha Christie. Many actresses could not have carried this film. I've always liked Dustin Hoffman, but here I feel he's a bit too formally reserved as his newspaperman character. Timothy Dalton is excellent as the dastardly husband of Christie.
Here's the problem -- SPOILER WARNING -- the film, while claiming to be fiction, essentially accuses Christie of attempting to commit suicide by having her husband's mistress unknowingly murder her. No wonder Christie descendants sued, twice (unsuccessfully). It just doesn't seem kosher.